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Jazz Jennings

Jazz Jennings talks 'Life as a (Transgender) Teen'

Jaleesa M. Jones
USA TODAY
Jazz Jennings' memoir hits shelves June 7, one day before the Season 2 premiere of her reality docu-series, 'I Am Jazz.'

Jazz Jennings is your average teenage girl, except she happened to be born in a boy's body.

The transgender teen — who was diagnosed with gender dysphoria at age 3 and appeared on 20/20 at age 6 — has since raised the visibility of trans youth through her TLC docu-series, I Am Jazz (Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET) and her work as a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign. But her new memoir, Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen (Crown), sees the 15-year-old getting more personal than ever. We spoke with Jazz about the book, which hits shelves Tuesday.

Q: You co-wrote a children's book, I Am Jazz, in September 2014. What made you want to do a memoir next?

A: I Am Jazz was more for children to understand what it means to be transgender, but with Being Jazz, I wanted to get the universal message across that we are all just people and we have to live our lives authentically.

Q: What are the biggest misconceptions about the trans community that you were looking to debunk? 

A: One of the biggest is that people think it's a choice, but it’s not. It’s the way we were born.

Another misconception is that it’s all about what’s between your legs rather than what’s between your ears. Being transgender isn’t a medical transition. It’s a process of learning to love yourself for who you are. And the last is this: A lot of people think I was too young to transition. I was 2 years old when I first started expressing myself but from the start, I knew I was a girl. And I think most children out there just know — whether they gravitate toward Barbies rather than trucks — they know.

Q: In an ideal world, how would we handle gender?

A: I wish everything was gender neutral. I wish we weren't separated by boundaries like pink and blue and little things like that. I wish we could choose how we express ourselves without hate.

Jazz Jennings accepts the Outstanding Reality Program Award for 'I Am Jazz' at the 27th annual GLAAD Media Awards. The teen's program tied with Caitlyn Jenner's E! series, 'I Am Cait.'

Q: How does it feel to see public figures addressing discrimination and standing in solidarity against laws like House Bill 2? 

A: The hate is real, and it’s not just people hiding behind their computers. Now, it’s politicians. But the fact that so many people are rallying in support of the transgender community means so much. Look at the Obama administration — they’ve put out a directive (on the use of bathrooms by transgender students), telling states they can’t discriminate against kids on the basis of gender identity. So many people are finally understanding that this is not OK.

Q: You've been called brave for speaking on trans issues but in your book, you admit that you were privileged to have the resources and support that you had. What would be your advice to trans kids who don't have that? 

A: Those are the people with true courage. I’d tell them to stay strong and keep moving forward... and know that one day things will get better. And I'd also tell them to try to find one peer, one adult, one person in your community that you can be yourself around.

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